Combined burner and regulator unit



May 13, 1930. .1. P. FISHER ET AL 1,758,828

COMBINED BURNER AND REGULATOR UNIT Filed Jan. 10, 1924 y @3315 61 mm? Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATES w PATENT OFFICE JAMES P. FISHER, BENJAMIN GREENFIELD, AND NOBLE M. HUTCHIN SON, OF BARTLES- VILLE, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNORS TO DOHERTY RESEARCH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,

. N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE COMBINED BURNER AND REGULATOR UNIT 1 Application filed January 10, 1924. Serial No. 685,319.

The present invention relates to the art of fluid fuel combustion and has as one of its objects the provision of a unitary structure combining various adjuncts convenient 6 or necessary to the combustion of fluid fuel in steam boiler and other types of furnaces.

In drilling oil or like wells, it is customary to transport the drilling rigs including boilers and engines from one stand to another,

often over considerable distances. The boilers of such rigs are usually fired by gas or oil and apparatus has been devised whereby the boiler pressure is automatically maintained constant when so fired irrespective of ordinary variations in the demand for steam.

A second object of this invention is to provide' a structure containing most of the parts necessary to automatically maintain constant pressure in a steam boiler and which can be readily transported from place to place and put into position for use with the boiler and which shall require a very small amount of work to connect it up to the boiler for operatiOIl. a

A third object of the'i vention is to provide a gas burner of high efliciency and capacity adapted for use with either a stationary .or portable type boile or other fur nace and capable of quick app ication thereto; I Further objectsand advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in .the art from the following description taken with the accompanying drawing, in which 35 Fig. 1 is a plan view of apparatus according to the invention illustrating it as applied to the firebox of a locomotive type boiler, -the firebox being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a'view of the apparatus appearing in Fig.1, parts being'shown in section and parts in elevation for purposes of illustration. 1

In the drawing 10 is a deck plate at two sides of which are depending side plates 12, said plates 10 and .12 forming a rigid portable frame or base 11 for the attachment of other parts of the apparatus. The deck plate 10 extends at one end beneath the firebox of boiler 14 and also forms the top of 50 an air duct hereinafter described. In applying the apparatus of this invention to the boiler, the ordinary grate is dispensed with and an angle iron frame 16 is placed in the space ordinarily occupied by the grate. Frame 16 according to this invention is arranged to rest on deck plate 10 and supports a firebrick or like refractory 18 which extends entirely around the frame 16 and above the top edge thereofto protect the exposed upper edge of this frame from the flame. The space above the deck plate 10 and between the refractory material 18 and the edge of the grate opening in boiler 14 is filled in by a mass 20 of clay or like earth or re fractory cement to prevent access of air around the frame 16. Supported within the frame 16 is a burner structure comprising a plurality of parallel plates 22, these plates 22 being apertured and having upstanding hollow bosses. or nipples 24 fixed thereto in registration with the apertures therein whereby a mixture of gas and air may flow up through the nipples 24 and be ignited above the same. According to the invention provision is made also for a supply of supplementary or secondary air to the flame above the ends ofnipples 24 by arranging the plates 22 with spaces26between adjacent plates. Gas is injected into the lower ends of nipples 24 by jet pipes or tubes 28, the upper ends of which are spaced below the lower ends of nipples 24 so that the streams of gas escaping from the upper ends of pipes 28 draw along with them air from the spaces surrounding the pipes and carry such air through the nipples 24 where air and gas mix prior to ignition above the burners. We have 8 found. that it is desirable to make the area of the passages 26 for the secondary air less than that of the apertures in the nipples 24. The lower ends of the jet pipes 28 arein communication with the interior of a header 30 to which gas iscsupplied by. gaspipe 32.

The jet tubes 28 and header 30 are arranged within an air duct or conduit 34, theintake end of which is illustrated at 36 and which extends above the deck plate 10 as will appear in F 'g. 2. The air duct 34 contains two 'dampers in series for regulating the flow of air tothe burner. One of said dampers is illustrated at 38 (Fig. 2) and is connected with a clamp 39 to hold it in any desired position. The other damper 40 is ordinarily controlled in a manner hereinafter described and carries a weight 42 at one side of its pivot 44 whereby damper 40 maintains a downward tension on an operating strap or cord 46 attached at its lower end to an armate piece 48 fixed to the damper 40. Piece 48 acts to prevent a marked variation in leverage between the strap 46 and the axis 44 of damper 40 as the damper turns about its 4 strainer 50 at a point near its entrance to frame 11. Following the strainer a cutoff valve 54 is inserted in pipe 32, the handle 56 of which may be placed as desired for easy access but which is illustrated as extending above the edges of plates 12. After passing through valve 54 gas in pipe 32 encounters a pressure regulator 58 of known type, the upper end of which also extends above frame or base 11 and the upper part 60 of the casing of the regulator 58 is made removable as illustrated, whereby the interior of the regulator 58 may be readily inspected and parts therein adjusted as may be necessary. Cover 60 is connected by suitable piping as illustrated to a steam governor 61. Governor 61 is connected-also to the steam space of boiler 14 and is controlled 'in its action by. the pressure of steam inthe boiler. Governor 61 acts on pressure regulator 58 to cause regulator 58 to decrease or increase the flow of fuel gas in pipe 32 as the steam pressure increases or decreases, thus maintaining a substantially constant steam pressure. Governors for this purpose are of course, known and the details of governor 61-form no part of this invention. It is preferred, however, to use a governor 61 in accordance with an application for patent filed by James P. Fisher, one of the present inventors, on August 15, 1923, Serial No.

' 657,505. Also the regulating valve 58 forms no part of this invention, the one illustrated in the drawing being of the well known dead weighted diaphragm type. It will be understood that the heat demand on the boiler furnace varies'inversely with variations in the boiler steam pressure. In other words the heat demand on the furnace drops proportionately with an increase in boiler steam i 1 pressure and rises proportionately with a de- 65 cruise in boiler steam pressure. Accordingly the pressure regulator 58 operates to control the fuel supply to the furnace in accordance with the heat demand thereon.

Connected with pipe 32 on the low pressure side of pressure regulator 58 is a gas operated damper motor 62, the upper end 64 of whose casing is also separable and is placed above the base 11 whereby it may be readily-removed when desired without disturbing the other parts of the apparatus. Motor 62 comprises a diaphragm 66 which is fixed to a weight 68. The upper side of diaphragm 66 is exposed to the atmosphere and the under side receives gas pressure from the pipe 32. The weight 68 is connected to a pivoted lever 70 by a strap or cord 72 at one end of leve 70, the other end of the lever being fixed to the cord 46 of the damper 40. The Weight 68 is heavy so that it overbalances the damper 40 and tends normally to just close damper 40 when there is no gas pressure acting on the diaphragm 66 to help lift weight 68. The burner is provided with a pilot burner 76, gas

'for which is supplied through a small pipe 78 which connects with the main gas pipe 32 on the high pressure side of the cutoff valve 54. It is preferred consequently to install in the pipe 78 a small pressure regulator 80 and a cutoff valve 82, although the pressure regulator 80 may be omitted if desired or interchanged for a needle valve or the like. I

It is preferred also to insert in pipe 32 between the damper motor 62 and the burner a valve 74 which may be adjusted or set to a desired position so that not more than the desired maximum amount of gas may flow to the burner at the maximum pressure for which the regulator 58 is set. V

In operating the apparatus according to the invention, the hand damper 38 and the valve 74" are adjusted by preliminary trial to give the best proportions of gas and air for a given installation. This is done by setting capacity valve 74 so that not more than the amount of gas necessary to develop the maximum desired output from the boiler may pass through this valve when the action of pressure regulator 58 is entirely unaffected by governor 61. Experience has shown that a maximum gas pressure of 22 inches of water on the inlet side of capacity valve 74 is best for most installations. The hand damper 38 is then set to permit the proper amount of air for complete combustion of the gas at maximum gas pressure on valve 74. This setting of hand damper 38 is made with the automatic damper 40 wide open. The weight 68 on diaphragm 66 of damper motor 62 is selected so that it is just balanced by the maximum gas pressure permitted on the outlet side of regulator 58. As weight 42 assists the gas pressure, weight 68 necessarily rises to the fullest extent permitted by diaphragm 66 when there is maximum gas pressure beneath the diaphragm or, in other words, when i pressure regulator 58 is permitting the maximum desired flow of gas with consequent maximum desired pressure in the line between regulator 58 and Valve 74. Connections 46 and 72 are so adjusted that damper 40 stands wide open or in vertical position when diaphragm 66 is in its uppermost position. Weight 42 being then supported from axis 44 and offering no resistance at the start of a closing movement on the part.of damper 40. The gas and air flow being thus at their maximum, the steam pressure will rise quickly as soon as there is slacking in the demand for steam. If the steam pressure rises to a certain predetermined point, the regulator 58 is controlled by governor 61 to cut off the flow entirely in main gas pipe 32, pilot burner 76 only remaining lighted. Weight 68 on diaphragm 66 then sinks to its lowermost position and automatic damper 40 is fully closed. In this positionweight 68 acting on the lever arm which is the radius,

of segment 48 is just balanced by weight 42 on automatic damper 40, weight 42 acting on a longer lever than weight 68. The parts are illustrated in Fig. 2 in the position just described in which weight 68 is in its lowermost position. If now the steam pressure falls somewhat, causing the gas pressure on the burner to increase, the weight 68 is lifted by the gas pressure on diaphragm 66 and damper 40 is thereby opened a corresponding amount to give the proper amount of air in the duct or box 34 for the efficient combustion of the gas furnished to the burner. Also, if the gas pressure falls the damper 40 is closed again by the weight 68 as soon as the gas pressure fails to support the weight 68. The air for combustion of the as at the burner is thus automatically regu ated to maintain high efiiciency.

It,isapparentfrom the foregoing that. both hand operated damper 38 and capacity valve 74 are necessary to the commercial success of acombined burner and regulator unit.

Moreover, the type of burner illustrated and described herein in which a supply of secondary air is furnished to burningjets of mingledgas and air within the fire box has r markably high capacity and has enabled drillers to operate boilers continuously and efliciently at several times their builders ratmg. i

It Wll be seen moreover that apparatus according to this invention may be readily transported from place to place and disassembled from and reassembled with a boiler whenever desired withgreat ease and speed.

. It Will be evident that the damper motor 62 may also be connected by suitable means to the pipeline 63 connecting the governor 61 to the pressure regulator 60 whereby, if desired, the pressure of gas for the burner and the position of the damper 40 will'be affected at the same time by the pressure of steam in the boiler heated by the burner.

Without the two hand operated means, damper 38 and capacity valve 74, a given apparatus according to the invention could not be adjusted to different boilers'or to different load conditions on the same boiler Without difiicult and expensive changes in jet burner tubes 28 and the effective area of air duct 34 or its inlet 3& It is obvious also that the steam governor may be omitted entirely without disturbing many of the features or the results of the present invention, the rate of firing being then controlled by the hand valve 54.

While a particular form of apparatus has been illustrated and has been specifically described, we do not intend such illustration and description to be limiting. In particular it will be understood that the drawing is partly diagrammatic in that it shows the apparatus, for purposes of clearer illustration, as occupying more space than necessary. In practice the various parts can be arranged much more compactly. It is also to be understood that, whileithe inventioif has been described as particularly applicable to a steam boiler, it may be applied with equal facilty to a stationary, hot water, hot air, or other heating plant or furnace.

Having described our invention what we claim is: v

1. The combination With a Steam boiler having a firebox, of a draft conduit extending outwardly from an'opening in the firebox, a burner arranged across the firebox end of the conduit, means for supplying fluid fuel to said burner including a regulator responsive ,to changes in boiler pressure for varying the amount of fuel supplied to the burner, a damper in that end of the conduit which is open to the atmosphere, and a motor for operating said damper, said motor being under the control of the fuel pressure between said regulator and the burner.

2. A burner apparatus adapted for connection with a firebox, comprising an air supply conduit having its discharge end adapted for placement adjacent an opening in the firebox, an apertured burner at the discharge end of said conduit, means spaced from the back spaced flame orifices and air discharge ports,

means for supplying fluid fuel to said flame orifices, means for supplying air for combustion to said flame orifices and air ports, said lastnamed means including a damper for controlling the flow of air to saidburner, and automatic means controlled by the fuel pressure for operating said damper.

4. The combination with a furnace having a combustion chamber, of an air supply conduit extending outwardly from an opening in the combustion chamber, a fluid fuel burner structure mounted over the combustion chamber end of the conduit, means for supplying fluid fuel to said burner, including automatic mechanism for controlling" the rate of fuel supply, a damper in the air supply conduit, and operative connections between said damper and said fuel supplying means including means for maintaining a substantially constant ratio between the air passed by said damper and the fuel supplied to said burner.

5. The combination with a furnace having a combustion chamber, of an air supply conduit extending outwardly from an opening in the combustion chamber and open to atmosphere, an apertured burner forming a covering for the combustion chamber end of the conduit, means for supplying fluid fuel to said burner including automatic mechanism for varying the amount of fuel supply,

a damper in that end of the conduit which is open to the atmosphere, and a motor for operating said damper, said motor being under the control of the fuel pressure between said mechanism and the burner.

6. A burner apparatus comprising an air supply conduit open at its inlet end to atmosphere, an apertured burner at the discharge end ofsaid conduit, means'spaced from the burner adapted to inject fluid fuel and to aspirate air for combustion through the burner apertures, a damper for controlling the flow of air through the conduit, and a motor responsive to fuel pressure for operating said damper.

7. The combination with a furnace firebox, of an air supply duct, a burner element having passages therein for fluid fuel mixed with air and for secondary air,,said burner being located in the lower portion of said firebox over the discharge end of said air supply duct and comprising a closure between said' duct and said firebox whereby discharge of air from said duct into said firebox except through said burner passages ispprevented, means for supplying fuel to said burner, a damper controlling the air supply to said burner, and automatic mechanism for closing said damper when the fuel supply is cut off.

8. A burner apparatus for use in connection with a furnace firebox, comprising a burner member having a plurality of closely spaced flame orifices and air discharge ports,

means for supplying fluid fuel to said flame orifices including automatic mechanism for controlling the rate of fuel supply, means for supplying air for combustion to said flame orifices and said air ports, said means including a damper for controlling the supply of air to said burner, and means operatively connected with said fuel supplying means for operating said damper.

9. The combination with a furnace having a combustion chamber, of fluid fuel combustion apparatus having, in combination, an air supply conduit adapted to extend outwardly from an opening in the combustion chamber, a fluid fuel burner structure mounted over the combustion chamber end of the conduit, a fuel line for supplying fuel to said burner, a damper in said air supply conduit, a motor responsive to changes in pressure in the fuel supply line to said burner, operative connections between said damper and said motor, and an additional damper in said air supply conduit for controlling the air supply independently of the first named damper.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures.

JAMES P. FISHER. BENJAMIN GREENFIELD. NOBLE M. HUTCHINSON. 

